1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to headsets used in voice communication systems.
2. Background Art
Headsets allow the wearer to send and receive vocal communications. Headsets typically include a loudspeaker or other sound generator inside or near the ear canal of the wearer and a microphone near the mouth of the wearer. The boom in wireless communications has seen an increase in the use of headsets in a wide variety of environments. This boom has been further fueled by the development of short-range wireless technology, such as Bluetooth, which allows the headphone itself to be wirelessly connected to its corresponding telecommunications device.
Increasingly, portable communication systems are being used in noisy environments such as, for example, automobiles, airports, streets, malls, restaurants, and the like. The effects of noise may increase as the headset size shrinks, moving the microphone farther away from the wearer's mouth. Noise reduction algorithms may be employed by the headset or supporting telecommunication device to reduce the effects of environmental noise. Typical noise reduction algorithms can reduce the effects of stationary noise by about 12 dB if good speech quality is to be maintained. Reducing non-stationary noise without significantly degrading voice quality is more challenging.
What is needed is to provide greater noise reduction, without sacrificing speech quality, in a voice communication headset. This improved noise reduction should be practical to implement without sacrificing other functional properties expected in portable headsets or headsets.